Bear-trap.



A. k. HOMME.

BEAR TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I8. 1918.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

ANDREW KNUTSON HOMME, 0F WARROAD, MINNESOTA.

BEAR-TRAP.

Application filed September 18, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW KNUTsoN HoMM-E, subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Warroad, 1n the State of Minnesota, United States of America, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bear-Traps, of which the followin is a specification.

y invention relates to bear traps and more particularly to an attachment which may be used in connection with traps built upon the the invention being the provision of an attachment of light weight that a number of them may be carried by a trapper without being burdensome, the said trap attachment forming the means whereby the escape of the bear after he has once placed his head in the trap is rendered impossible.

The said means will be found first fully described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claim, reference also being had to the drawings forming art hereof 1n which similar characters of re erence indicate similar parts throughout the difl'erent views, and in which Figure 1 is a bear trap formed between two suitably spaced trees to which the bear holding attachment is secured.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the plane of the line 2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of one of the attachments, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 in Fig. 3.

Wherever possible I prefer to prepare my traps in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and,2, that is to say, between trees growin at a suitable spacing from each other. 11 the drawings 1 and 2 indicate two trees growing in a manner to provide a suitable fork 3 as a basis for the trap. The rear of the fork 3 I prefer to inclose by the stakes 4 driven into the ground in stockade fashion. the upper ends of the stakes being secured together by a rope or ropes 5 woven therearound and around the trees 1 and 2. In the absence of a suitable rope or cable I make use of a grape vine, tree roots or other substitutes, this being a minor point so long as the stockade is rendered strong.

The front of the trap I close up to ap- Specification of Letters Patent.

ound where used, the objects of Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

Serial No. 254,638.

, proximately the height of a bear, by nailing boughs or split saplings 6 to the fronts of the trees 1 and 2. I may also nail a further strip 7 to the trees at a distance above the closure 6 so as to leave a space for. the entrance of the bears head.

At the bottom of the crotch I lay a bait indicated as 8, which may be a piece of meat, fish or other substance attractive to the bear.

The holding attachment A, best shown in Figs. 3 .and 4, comprises a base member 9 having the apertures 10 through which nails may be passed to secure it to a tree or other support. The base .member 9 is longitudinally slotted to provide a recess 11, a spike like member 12 having its lar er end hinged in the recess 11 by means of the pivot 13 which passes through the said member and the walls of the recess. The bottom of the recess 11, it will be noted, is sloped inwardly as at 14 so that a considerable depression of the point 15 of the member 12 is permitted, the extremity 16 of the larger end of the said member 12 being shaped to bear against the tree or other support to which the base member is secured, to prevent outward movement of the point beyond a predetermined degree. Thus the member 12 is rotatable on the pivot 13 within the limits described and a spring 17 is mounted on the base member 9 by means of the nail 18 in a position to bear against the under side of the member 12 and maintain it normally in its outward position.

The member 12 it will be noted, tapers gradually from its ivoted end to the point 15 which is prefera 1y ground to a piercing sharpness.

In practice I make use of two of the attachments for each trap, these being secured to the trees forming the sides of the trap, in the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, that is to say, having their members 12 inwardly and downwardly directed toward each other, so that their points 15 are meeting almost directly over the center of the trap. In this position, when a bear places his head in the trap and reaches down toward the bait, the

oints of the members 12 are forced away rom each other against their springs 17 but without injury to the bear; whenhowever, he undertakes to withdraw his head the points 15 of the members 12 will penetrate behind his skull or such other part as may be in contact with them, and effectually prevent from withdrawing. 'l lije, deathof" the bear, due to the penetration of the spikes, is the inevitable result. l

Where two trees arenot'" found in'the desired position I nail a saplin tree to provide the necessary iork.

From the foregoingdescription it Will be seen thafialfa trapper requires to carry is a supply of the attachmentsaa few" nailsand an axe, the latter being always a part of his equipment; The attachments are very" light and a large number of them may be carried and even then only approximate the weight of a single bear trap" ofthe-older types; Actual: practice has demonstrated a great advantage on this point, as also'the accuracy to a single of the results obtained by means of the attachments. w

Having thus fully described my said invention What I claim is I A11 attachment for a trap comprising a base" member adapted for attachment to the side-of a trap and having a central slot, a pointed member havin its penetrating end extending away from't e base member and its 'othe'fend pivoted in the slot, thepiv'oted end of the pointedmember extending through the slot and shaped to bear against the side of the trap-to prevent upward rota tion" of the penetrating; end, and yielding means opposed'toits" rotation in the: opposite direction.

ANDREW KNUTSON Gbpies of this patent may be obt'ai'ne'd-fof five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of-lPateilts,= WashingtomDaG. 

